"The Culture of Faith" (part 2)
And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to Him must believe that He exists and that He rewards those who earnestly seek Him. ? Hebrews 11:6
We ended by saying that the centrality of faith is so important in the life of the believer it's impossible to please God without it. Faith is the how the Kingdom operates. It is not based in hope, but it is based in the certainty that what God said is a done deal. Faith takes what hope wants and brings it into the realm of reality. Hope says, I'll have it one day perhaps if everything works out in my favor. Faith says, I have it now, not someday off in the future, but right now. Now listen closely, faith hears what God says (present tense) and accepts it as a done deal. A scripture often misunderstood is, "So faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the Word of God." -Romans 10:17. It does not say reading or listening to the Word of God produces faith. If that was the case, all we would have to do is read the Bible or listen to it on cd and we would have all the faith we need. It is not just hearing a scripture, but the Word that God speaks to you opens your capacity to hear which means to receive the message, and in receiving what God says develops faith. Hebrews 11:1 - "Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen." God expects us to believe in what He speaks. To have the confidence that when He speaks to us we do not need to wait for a physical source or manifestation, but at the point of hearing His Word spoken - it is ours at the point we hear what He has said.
Understanding faith is so important that God created the world using this principles of faith. He spoke and it happened. Could you imagine God wondering if what He spoke would come to pass? Or thinking, "If I speak light, what's going to happen?" He said it and it happened at the point He released His Word into the atmosphere. The first day God said let there be light and there was light. Later around the fourth day He created the physical source of the sun and moon. That is the core of the operation of the Kingdom and the culture of faith we are commanded to live in if we are going to please God. We do not have to wait for a physical manifestation to believe the Word. Faith is full confidence in the superior reality that when God releases a Word it will not fail or fall to the ground. His Word always accomplishes what it was spoken to do. God told the prophet Isaiah (55:10-11) "As the rain and snow comes down from heaven, and do not return to it without watering the earth and making it bud and flourish, so that it yields seed for the sower and bread for the eater, so is my word that goes out from my mouth: It will not return to me empty, but will accomplish what I desire and achieve the purpose for which I sent it."
A culture cannot exist with the mindset of one person, but it takes a community that has blended into the same way of thinking (although opinions may vary) all working towards a common goal. Cultures are developed by ways of thinking, customs and actions of a society of people. Our society must be a culture of faith. A people who flow in harmony with heaven. Jesus speaking to His Apostles left what we call the Great Commission found in Mark 16:15-20:
15. And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature.
16. He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned.
17. And these signs shall follow them that believe; In my name shall they cast out devils; they shall speak with new tongues;
18. They shall take up serpents; and if they drink any deadly thing, it shall not hurt them; they shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall recover.
19. So then after the Lord had spoken unto them, he was received up into heaven, and sat on the right hand of God.
20. And they went forth, and preached every where, the Lord working with them, and confirming the word with signs following. Amen.
The culture of faith is a generation that believes in the Name of Jesus. The Lord said these signs will follow them that BELIEVE IN MY NAME. As a result of a culture walking in harmony with heaven to confirm the rulership of Jesus and His Kingdom in the earth the supernatural is automatically attached. It's popular now to use some variation of "kingdom" in our description of ourselves or ministries. But let's have the power the Kingdom represents. 1 Corinthians 4:20 says "The Kingdom of God is not in word but in power." To be kingdom minded is a life and culture of faith. A walk that's fueled by love of God (faith operates by love) ignited by the power of the baptism of the Holy Spirit and fire and is filled with reality of His presence.
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We ended by saying that the centrality of faith is so important in the life of the believer it's impossible to please God without it. Faith is the how the Kingdom operates. It is not based in hope, but it is based in the certainty that what God said is a done deal. Faith takes what hope wants and brings it into the realm of reality. Hope says, I'll have it one day perhaps if everything works out in my favor. Faith says, I have it now, not someday off in the future, but right now. Now listen closely, faith hears what God says (present tense) and accepts it as a done deal. A scripture often misunderstood is, "So faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the Word of God." -Romans 10:17. It does not say reading or listening to the Word of God produces faith. If that was the case, all we would have to do is read the Bible or listen to it on cd and we would have all the faith we need. It is not just hearing a scripture, but the Word that God speaks to you opens your capacity to hear which means to receive the message, and in receiving what God says develops faith. Hebrews 11:1 - "Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen." God expects us to believe in what He speaks. To have the confidence that when He speaks to us we do not need to wait for a physical source or manifestation, but at the point of hearing His Word spoken - it is ours at the point we hear what He has said.
Understanding faith is so important that God created the world using this principles of faith. He spoke and it happened. Could you imagine God wondering if what He spoke would come to pass? Or thinking, "If I speak light, what's going to happen?" He said it and it happened at the point He released His Word into the atmosphere. The first day God said let there be light and there was light. Later around the fourth day He created the physical source of the sun and moon. That is the core of the operation of the Kingdom and the culture of faith we are commanded to live in if we are going to please God. We do not have to wait for a physical manifestation to believe the Word. Faith is full confidence in the superior reality that when God releases a Word it will not fail or fall to the ground. His Word always accomplishes what it was spoken to do. God told the prophet Isaiah (55:10-11) "As the rain and snow comes down from heaven, and do not return to it without watering the earth and making it bud and flourish, so that it yields seed for the sower and bread for the eater, so is my word that goes out from my mouth: It will not return to me empty, but will accomplish what I desire and achieve the purpose for which I sent it."
A culture cannot exist with the mindset of one person, but it takes a community that has blended into the same way of thinking (although opinions may vary) all working towards a common goal. Cultures are developed by ways of thinking, customs and actions of a society of people. Our society must be a culture of faith. A people who flow in harmony with heaven. Jesus speaking to His Apostles left what we call the Great Commission found in Mark 16:15-20:
15. And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature.
16. He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned.
17. And these signs shall follow them that believe; In my name shall they cast out devils; they shall speak with new tongues;
18. They shall take up serpents; and if they drink any deadly thing, it shall not hurt them; they shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall recover.
19. So then after the Lord had spoken unto them, he was received up into heaven, and sat on the right hand of God.
20. And they went forth, and preached every where, the Lord working with them, and confirming the word with signs following. Amen.
The culture of faith is a generation that believes in the Name of Jesus. The Lord said these signs will follow them that BELIEVE IN MY NAME. As a result of a culture walking in harmony with heaven to confirm the rulership of Jesus and His Kingdom in the earth the supernatural is automatically attached. It's popular now to use some variation of "kingdom" in our description of ourselves or ministries. But let's have the power the Kingdom represents. 1 Corinthians 4:20 says "The Kingdom of God is not in word but in power." To be kingdom minded is a life and culture of faith. A walk that's fueled by love of God (faith operates by love) ignited by the power of the baptism of the Holy Spirit and fire and is filled with reality of His presence.
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Teaching by Richard Furlow
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